A-Z of Fitness – D for DOMS / Deadlifts

I get asked a lot similar questions, so over the next month both on my Instagram (@fitchicnic) and on here, I’ll be going through the alphabet talking about some of the most common health and fitness related questions and topics.

D is for DOMS / Deadlifts

DOMS. Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness.

Ever ached for days after a workout? It’s the inflammation caused by myofibril tears in the muscles, and can last for over 48hrs in some cases. Some people actually like the feeling and think that they ‘haven’t worked hard enough’ unless they’re sore. This is NOT the case, and it shouldn’t be used as an indicator of whether the session was effective or not for building muscle.

How can you treat it? The usual ways people try to relieve it (massage, exercise, stretching, supplements, Epsom salts, etc) aren’t actually proven to work, but just see if any of them work for you!

Deadlifts. Why do them?

Strength, athleticism, fat burning. You’ll also feel like a badass. The conventional deadlift targets most of the muscles in the body, including the core. It’s vital you do them with correct form and technique, so start learning how a hip-hinge (pushing the hips back) is different from a squat and go from there.